cunningham



March 8, 1932. I R F CUNNlNGHAM 1,848,514

TAIL LIGHT Filed Der; 4, 1930 lll Patented Mar, 8, 1932 UNITED STATES .RICHARD CUNNINGHAM, F HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA TAIL LIGHT Application filed December 4,1930.k Serial No. 500,075.

The present invention has for its object the provision of anovel mounting for the tail light of a motor vehicle whereby the light may be held steady or may be permitted to vibrate and thereby more widely disseminate the rays and consequently more eectually serve its purpose of a warning. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tail light embodying the invention. Y v

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, on the line 2 2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the supporting bracket,

Fig.y 4 is a sectional plan view through the clamping plate which secures they lower end of the spring, and y Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In carrying out the present invention, there isprovided a flatspiral spring 1, the lower end of which is disposed within a clamp consisting of a sheet metal plate doubled or folded upon itself, as shown at 2 in Fig. 1, whereby upper and lower plies 3 and 4 are produced to pass above and below the lowest coil of the spring and the spring will fit closely between the plies and be securedy by rivets or similar fastenings 5 inserted through the marginal Vportions of the plies 3 and 4. Within the fold or crease 6 of the clamping plateare openings 7 through which the coil of the spring passes so that the rspring will be very securely held and will not Ireadily work out of place. This clamping plate may .be secured directly to the fender or wheel guard of the automobile and for this purpose an opening'S is formed through the two plies of the plate to receive a bolt 9 equipped with a nut 1 0, as will be understood. It will generally, however, be found more desirable to employ a bracket, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, upon which the clamping plate will be secured and which, in turn, will be secured to a convenient part of the vehicle body, the

chassis or some other relatively fixed part of the vehicle. This bracket may be conveniently stamped from a single sheet metal blank and kan opening 12 therethrough to receive the bolt 9 whereby the spring-securing clamp may be fastened upon the bracket. The base portion is disposed at a right angle to a back member 13 which is provided with slots 14 whereby thebracket may be secured readily to some fixed part, securing bolts being inserted through such of the slots 14 as will most readily accommodate the bracketv to the part to which it is to be secured. A tongue 15 is struck up from the base plate 11 and the free end of the tongue is bent over to deline a lip 16, as shown, said lip having a slot 17 extending longitudinally thereof and a presents a base portion 11 having slot 18 corresponding to the slots 14 being formed through the tongue, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. At the side edges of the base plate 11 are upturned stop flanges or lugs 19 against which the clamping plate may abut so that the clamping plate will be easily placed in proper position on the base plate with the opening 8 in the clamp properly alining with the opening 12 in the plate. The back plate 13 is provided with an opening disposed preferably at its center to receive a bushing 20 of insulation which bushing will be retained in place by a key 21 in an obvious manner.

The upper end of the spring 1 is disposed against the under side of a cap plate 22 having a central opening 23 therethrough to receive the socket of an incandescent bulb7 a conducting cable 24 for supplying current to the bulb being passed through the bushing 20 and extended up through the spring to the socket so as to furnish a suitable connection with the electric plant of the vehicle. At the rear side of the margin of the plate 22 is an upturned tongue or lug 25 under which is engaged an annular flange 26 at the lower end of aglobe 27 wit-hin which the incandescent bulb is housed. At the sides of the tongue or lug 25 are smaller lugs 28 which are engaged around and under the uppermost coil of the spring so that the plate will be held in proper engagement with the spring, as will be understood. At the front of the cap i' vthen rearwardly to engage over the flangeQ f whereby the globe will be firmly heldto the plate,it being (understood Athat a washer 32 and a nut 33 areV engaged over the vbolt-or screw above the bracket, as clearly shown in Fig. l. To aid in properly positioning the" globe upon the cap plate, gui-de lugs Stare` formed vupon the plate, at diametrically opposite points, vas shown in Fig.. 2, to engage .against the opposite sides of the globe flange whenthe globe vbrought into position over Vthe plate.

The bolt or screw isinserted upwardly ythrough the clamp 29 and theother described parts and below the clamp lthe head of the bolt supports ahook 35, the bill 36 kof which is adapted to' be'engaged upwardly through the slotV 17', as indicated by the .dotted lines in-Fig. l, so that the. spring will be heldcompressed and will move the'hook upwardly into binding engagement with the lip 16.Y The ylamp will'thus be held steady rand the light will be distributed over a fixed area relative te.. the vehicle but if the hookbe disengaged from the lip` 16, the spring will be permitted to expand andwill assume theposition shown in full. lines in Fig. 1, so' that the lamp will throw the light more to the rear .than when it is held relatively fixed. When the spring is free as thus described, the vibrations due to travel over a rough road will be absorbed f so that rupture ofthe lamp-filament will be avoided and when theparts are thus arranged a stoppage'of thevehicle will cause the Ylamp to oscillate or shake so that the light will be `more widely disseminated and will more effectually attract the attention of passing motorists and pedestrians.

The. device is very simple and may be readily) mounted upon any vehicle. The spring will vbe securely held so as to support the .lamp yand breakageof the lamp will be minimizedlby reason ofv they spring mounting thereof. The globe isf'lpreferably.spherical and? 'this form has the effect of a large lamp while :employing a comparatively small bulb, Inasmuch asa sphericall globe is employed,it may be entirely ofiglass so'thatthe light will be" emitted in alldirections and if the globe be partly colored, the rear portion thereof may'serve as a signal while the front portion may be left clear and will thereupon display the light along the side of. the rvehicle to Y illuminate the same and not only aid the chauffeurbut will also-benefit approaching motorists who will be enabled to more aca bracket 31 is secured to the plate by vehicle equipped with the light of the present invention. Y

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. A tail light comprising a bracket including a base plate and a backplate disposed at a right angle to thebase plate,.an upstanding'tongue on the vbracketat the back thereof, a helical spring, mea-ns for securing the spring on the base plate of the bracket, a cap plate secured on'the upper 'end' ofthe spring, VYa globe carried by the cap plate, and a hook connected to the cap plate and adapted to engage the upsta-nding tongue whereby to hold the spring in closed position.

v 2. A tail lig.it comprising a bracket consisting of va base` plate, aback plate and atongue rising from theback plate and provided at its upper end with aflip having alongitudinally extending slot therein, stop lugs at the-side edges -of the base plate, a clamp secured .upon thev base-plate and abutting said stop lugs, a spring having its lower end secured in the clamp, `a cap plate secured upon the upper end of the spring, a globe carriedby'thecap plate, means for illuminating the globe, and a hook connected to the cap plate and adapted to engage theslot'in the lip ofthe upstanding tongue. f

, 3. A tail light comprisinga bracket including a base plate and aback plate, means for securing the back plate to a relatively iiXed support, vstoplugs-on the side edges of the base plate, a clampsecured onthe base ,plate and abutting said stop lugs, a spring secured in said clamp, afcap platemounted on the upper end of the spring, a Vglobe carried by said cap plate', ,and means. for illuminating the globe. i

4.. A tail-,light comprising a helical spring, means for securing `the lower. end ofthe spring upon a vehicle, ar capl plateupon the upper end'of the spring providedwith downwardly extending inturnedlugsk engaging around the top coil ofthe spring, a.v clamp engaged ,aroundl the top coil of the spring, means for securing said clamp Vto the capA plate, a globe restingonthe cap plate, means for retaining .the globe on'the cap plate, and means for illuminating the globe. VVV5. A tail light comprising a'helical spring,

Vmeans for securingthe lowerfend of the springupon a vehicle, a cap plate resting on the? upper endfof the spring, means.,,forrev taining the cap plate yonthe'spring,upwardly extending overhanging keeper elements on the cap plate, a globe havingan annularbase flange Vengaged lunder said keeper elements, and means for illuminating theglobe. i

In testimony whereof I aflixiniy signature.

. inclinan cUNnxNGHAM. {Lis} curately judge their distance in passing thel l e 

